


To (Final)ly Connect

by calleryfield



Series: The Role She Held Before [3]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Gen, Slightly - Freeform, hint of kirumi/tsumugi, pregame au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 17:59:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13793094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calleryfield/pseuds/calleryfield
Summary: A Continuation of my Pregame Kirumi Fic SeriesThe gray-haired girl couldn’t help but wonder how this event came to be: that she would find herself wandering in a dark building, trying to navigate where she’s supposed to be going. Corridors that she’s never seen before — they were making her legs shake as she takes a step. She almost wants to cry as she keeps making turns, completely lost with where she’s going.





	To (Final)ly Connect

The gray-haired girl couldn’t help but wonder how this event came to be: that she would find herself wandering in a dark building, trying to navigate where she’s supposed to be going. Corridors that she’s never seen before — they were making her legs shake as she takes a step. She almost wants to cry as she keeps making turns, completely lost with where she’s going. 

How she winded up trapped in a locker before all this is a mystery, though, not able to remember what events led up to her being there in the first place. At first she thought it was some mean prank her classmates pulled on her, but when she got out and wasn’t able to recognize her surroundings, that’s when she knew it was something else, and navigating through these mysterious hallways aren’t helping her; it’s only making her want to cry more. 

But she is trying to hold off her emotions. Crying and panicking won’t help her situation. She keeps telling herself, but from the shaking of her entire body, she knows that she will easily give into her feelings at any moment. 

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how is it that she came here. 

Oh. That’s right: wasn’t she on her way home before this? She continues walking through the quiet and empty corridor as she thinks on the memory. 

Then, the memories come rushing back to her.

 

That’s… all she wanted. She just wanted it to be a normal day. 

It had been days since she marched into that building and demanded at a camera to be in the stupidly popular show. Days passed since both she and her brother have auditioned, but no response came from the director.

She finally felt relief; the girl can happily come back home, knowing that he will be there, too. Even if he had been devastated lately because he believed he was rejected by the show he loved, she was just glad to find him laying on the couch at home; so long as he  _ was  _ home with her. 

That’s how her days have become so peaceful. It was like after she had exploded, things began to fall in place — fall in her favor. All because of that one act of bravery. 

But today, she was rushing herself back home, not thinking much on how she was tripping on her feet. A big grin graced her face for the first time in a long while; she hadn’t felt her cheeks feel this sore from smiling so much in a long time. She had to hurry back home to see her brother! She had a new idea of a meal she wanted to cook and try, hoping that this new meal will bring her brother back to his senses, instead of him moping around. 

However, as soon as she unlocked the door and slammed it wide open, she found her house eerily quiet and the air heavy — suffocating. Worriedly, she called out into the dark house, “Brother?”

She took a step inside the house and looked down at the floor to where he would usually put his shoes.

They weren’t there.

Immediately, she tried to rush herself into the house,but something held her back: something covered her mouth from saying a word — a cloth of some sort being forced against her nose and mouth, as something held onto her arms and body tightly. Without moving herself, she could feel her body being dragged against the concrete of the floor outside.  

In a state of frenzy, she flailed, trying to hit whatever is holding onto her, but the capturor’s grips were far too strong against her weak and frail body; their fingers pressing harshly against her face. She tried to kick away, but it only hurt her heels the more she slammed her feet against the floor. She tried to hit the capturor with her arms, but she only swatted the air around her (of course she would miss). 

This was it.

She could not run.

This was her fate. 

She thought she can really just live normally again with her brother. She thought finally that the sun was shining rays to bless her, but no, of course it wasn’t. As usual. 

And she let herself be taken away. With tears in her eyes, seeping out and onto the hands of her capturor, she prayed for her brother to be safe before she could feel her senses slipping away. 

“Brother…” She let out a final exhale before she let go of all her senses; letting go of any chances of a normal day and letting the drugs to set in and take over her conscious. 

  
  


Her brother. Where is her brother? She needs to go back to him. The girl begins to walk faster, hurrying to the next classroom, sliding the door open and then leaving if the room is empty. 

She needs to find an exit quickly… Her brother could have returned home and may be waiting for her (if only). How dare that person take her away from her home, away from her brother. She has to go home quickly.

The girl opens yet another door to an empty classroom. Frustratingly, she slams the door shut, but the impact of the door as it shut hurts her fingers. She shakes her hand and continues down the hallway. 

Another door. Another empty classroom. Another door shut and the more her fingers begin to hurt with every impact of the closing door. 

She turns into a corner and suddenly she finds herself at a dead end — a final door. She looks above the doorway to check the sign, but only sees the blank and empty wall. 

It’s not an exit. 

Not an exit. And it’s making her body shake more while tears brim the corners of her eyes. Is there really no exit?

No. Perhaps there is one past these doors: there has to if she checked all the other doors around her and found nothing. She cannot let herself falter — not when she was so close to happier days. She has to stay strong for her brother for once. 

Her trembling hand reaches out to the cold metal door knob. With a twist of her wrist and a deep breath in, she pushes the door in.

A blinding light makes her flinch and turn her head away back to the dark hallway. Her green eyes slowly adjust to the surroundings — something unlike the dark labyrinth she continuously wandered in before, with only weak colored lights to light her way. 

What she sees before is a gym: with the hard wooden floor, a stage in the far back, and other sports gear around. 

And she isn’t alone. In front of the stage, she can see the back of a thin figure with their hands folded in front of the them. Her hair was long and wavy, a dark blue like stormy waters; the girl finds herself almost lost with every curl of the other’s hair. 

She takes a step into the gym, and the door slams shut behind her, making the figure wince and turn around. The blue sea of hair spin around to reveal a girl, whose eyes are covered by a pair of glasses. 

“Oh?” The girl with glasses asks in surprise, but soon, she begins to smile, “Oh! Hello!” Then the girl quickly rushes to the gray-haired girl’s side. 

The gray-haired girl nervously steps back from the girl with glasses, “H-How do you do?”

“A-Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you scared or anything! I was just — So excited to see someone else!” The girl with glasses waves her hands apologetically. “I’ve been wandering around trying to figure out where I am and I found myself here. I thought it’d be good if I just stayed here.” 

“Oh… yeah. Did… you not see other people around?” The other questions, voice wavering.

The girl with long messy hair shakes her head, “Not a single soul. It was really scary, so I didn’t stay for long outside. But..”

“W-What’s wrong?”

“You sound like you’re trying to find someone,” The girl with glasses speculates. 

The gray haired girl averts her green eyes away, “H-How can you tell?”

“I just figured,” The girl with glasses puts her hand on her hip and smiles softly. “I mean I’d be trying to find someone, too, in this situation.”

“Oh… Right…” The other mutters. 

“But in any case, I’m just so happy to see you!” The girl with glasses takes the other’s hands within her hands and swings it around. “It was scary being on my own.”

“I could imagine…” The other continues to respond in a dismissive and low tone. 

“I can’t even remember how I got here. I sure hope it isn’t amnesia or anything like that. It’d be way too much like a drama.” The blue haired girl pouts, letting go of the other’s hand. 

“I don’t really think that would be the case…” At least, that’s what the gray haired girl was praying. That this is some happier turn of events of some sort. Some weird prank being pulled on her and then she can be free to return home. She couldn’t even focus on the person before her. 

Meanwhile, the blue haired girl couldn’t stop pouting, especially when the beautiful figure before her had her attention elsewhere. 

The blue haired girl huffs frustratingly but places a hand on the other, forcing herself to keep smiling. “Ah well. Maybe someone will come eventually. Anyways, I’m really happy to have met you!”

“The honor is mine,” The gray haired girl briefly says. 

“Ah! You’re so formal! It’s really cute!” The girl compliments. “Anyways, my name is Tsumugi Shirogane! I hope we can be close! What’s your name?”

“O-Oh… I’m—”

The short haired girl is cut short in her sentence by the sound of the gym doors slamming open.

Much to the blue haired girl’s distaste, it seems that more people have arrived. Pity, she thought she would have more time to talk to this girl she’s been adoring this entire time. How unfortunate. 

But now that more people are beginning to flood the gym, that means the show is about to begin. With that, the girl who has taken the name of “Tsumugi” begins to smile cheerfully at the scenario. 

Meanwhile, the gray haired girl looks through the group of people for a familiar face, but all of the uniforms are different from her own. She doesn’t pay attention to the people who attempted to greet her. She may have passed a few greetings here and there — a sort of reflex she’s taken up-- but she couldn’t recall if the words truly slip through her lips. 

Time passes, but she doesn’t see a single person she knows, and her heart is beginning to sink. Her hope is beginning to diminish, and her body quivers at the thought of being trapped in the worst case scenario. 

But finally, there is another slam of the door once more. She lifts her head. 

By the door stands two figures trying to catch their breaths, and as soon as one of the figures raises his head, she could feel her feet lifting from the ground, ready to rush over to his side. 

The person she’s been looking for—  

Her brother. 

He is here. 

He is in a place where she can still see him. 

She wants to reach out for him, but too many people block her path to see him. She almost wants to laugh at herself for her lack of courage once more; why she still couldn’t just push others aside to retrieve her brother. 

Perhaps the happiness of just seeing him is enough for her (or she’s just weak and doesn’t want to admit it after the audition incident). 

She wishes that happiness could last — hard to do so when people began to shout and scream, confounded by their situation, yelling for a way out of here. In that moment, she finds herself afraid for her brother’s sake. She keeps wishing to herself that somehow she will gather her courage once more to run to her brother’s side and protect him, or to even run with him away from all of this. 

But no. Instead, her knees are urging for her to give in.

_ Because she’s just so goddamn pathetic like that _ .

It is then that a familiar looking bear enters the scene, standing on the stage of the gym. Immediately, just by looking at the bear, the girl almost forgets where she is — a growing pang hitting her stomach again.  

“Congratulations to all of you! You are now part of the new season of Danganronpa!” An automated voice speaks out from the bear. “You will now be going through screening and fitting for your costumes!”

Ah, she couldn’t believe it; she… she actually made it through the audition. She made it and became a part of the show with her brother. This stroke of luck that she will be able to be by her brother’s side seems so odd to her — unknown and unlike reality.

And somewhere, she can feel someone smiling down on her, but perhaps, that is just what the entire atmosphere is giving off, with everyone cheering in excitement that they made it through their audition. She can even see her brother happily holding his cheeks in his hands and gloating from where he is. 

Still, she isn’t able to talk to him, only able to watch him merrily accept his new situation, and she can only feel happy, too, seeing him and  _ being  _ with him. 

But she remains silent, not even when the bear begins to usher them to the back for their fitting; not even when she is told to wear her given outfit to make sure it fits well on her body; not even when she is done getting dressed and basking in its comfortability. 

The gray haired girl just keeps playing with the hems of her black and white dress. All she can feel in that moment is humiliation more than anything. The girl named Tsumugi came over as soon as she was done getting dressed to compliment how well the gray haired girl looked in the outfit, saying it suited her well. She could only take that compliment shyly, hiding her face away from the other. 

Now she stands on her own in the corner of the dressing room, while she waits for further instructions; the others are still getting dressed. She pouts, thinking about how silly she looks, but she keeps repeating to herself that it is something she must put up with. She has to take courage in this situation. 

At what cost though? 

She really hates this stupid looking outfit and she keeps believing this to be a dumb prank. Maybe it’s some way that the world is going to laugh at her. She doesn’t even look good in the outfit. If she could, she would tear the outfit off and go cry in a corner (as expected). 

Then she hears a voice cry out, “Sister?!” 

Her bewildered eyes dart to the source of that voice: a male in a black uniform rushing to her side with an excited smile plastered on his face. 

Immediately she stands up, “B-Brother..?”

As soon as he reaches her, he embraces her in his arms, arms wrapped around her neck. She finds herself stun, unable to say another word. It’s like she has suddenly floated off to an unknown place filled with warmth and light. Her eyes are beginning to water, but she holds back when her brother pushes away from her, still clinging to her arms. 

“You made it in? You auditioned? When?” He asks one question after another. 

“I-I…” She swallows nervously, “Yes… I went… the same day you did.”

“But why? You said you don’t even like Danganronpa!” Her brother gives her a quizzical look.

“O-Oh, yeah…” She smiles bitterly before she turns that bitter smile into a forced, awkward smile, “I… actually love Danganronpa. I-I just watched on my own time is all…”

“Ah! I’m so glad!” Her brother flings his arms around her again, and her mind continues to question how real is this situation. “You and I can be fans together! And you made to the auditions with me!”

“Y-Yes...Fans… Together.” She repeats his words — the words seemingly sweet to her tongue. 

“And! Sister, you look so amazing! Like an actual DR character! And, what do you think of me?” He steps back and spins himself around for her to gaze at him. 

She clasps her hands together and softly speaks, “I-I think you look amazing, brother!”

“Ahh, really?” He sheepishly grabs the tip of his black baseball cap, “I’m so happy then! Hey, sis, let’s survive this together, yeah? We have to show the world who’s the greatest fans of DR!”

With a thumbs up, her brother smiles a big toothy grin. She wouldn’t have known before that she would grow to love the pain she feels in her cheeks as she smiles along with him. That smile — the smile her brother dawns on his face —  _ she  _ made him smile. She was finally able to take that smile for herself, and that smile is what makes her remember her courage: what brings her here in the first place. 

To protect him.

That is her purpose. 

And as she gives her little brother another hug of assurance, as the two are hugging each other at the same time, for the very first time in a long time, she vows in her mind that she will protect him until the very end. She will live and swear that she will protect his life and to create that as her duty as his sister. 

And that is why she must survive.  

  
  


But there’s a certain someone watching in on this scene, adjusting her glasses to view the scene clearly, with hidden motives with her mind.

How ironic of a scene. The girl can’t help but note, but she can only be happy in this moment for the other, seeing that other girl smile the way she does now. 

Well, at least the other is happy. That’s all that matters right now. At least one wish was fulfilled, and it was a wish she was glad she could fulfill. 

**Author's Note:**

> Second last fic of the series! Thanks for reading it! I'm currently posting this rather late at night and my brain is fried because I just wanted to get this out since it's been a while since I wrote Last Resort, but I still appreciate that you took the time to read through the series so far! The final fic will go up next Saturday!


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